In These New Times

IOL

8th January, 2009

Thousands of demonstrators marched to Parliament in Cape Town on Thursday to call for an end to Israel’s offensive in Palestine’s Gaza Strip.

“South Africa, the bullets and bombs that you are selling to Israel are killing innocent babies in Palestine!” proclaimed one poster, held aloft by a marcher.

Leaders of the protest – the Workers International Vanguard League (WIVL) – handed a memorandum to Deputy Foreign Minister Sue van der Merwe outside Parliament’s main gate.

Among other things, the document calls on government to expel Israel’s ambassador to South Africa, and for the imposition of sanctions against that country.

Israel’s campaign in Gaza against Hamas militants, and the deaths of civilians caught up in the fighting, has sparked protests around the world.

According to a short statement issued by WIVL on Wednesday, the march was “to protest the genocide in Gaza as well as the complicity of the SA government in allowing weapons and spare parts to be shipped to Israel and the United States”.

Many of the marchers – estimated by a police official to number about 3000 – wore T-shirts calling for “Sanctions Against Israel Now” and “Stop the Massacre in Palestine”.

Among the messages seen on posters at the demonstration were “Hitler Taught Them” and “Hamas We Salute You”.

Scores of police kept a watchful eye on the protest, which ended when marchers dispersed peacefully at 1pm. – Sapa